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March 7, 2009

WBC: USA 6, Canada 5

1st: With one out, Martin walked, Votto singled him to third and he scored on Morneau's grounder to first. Bay walked and Stairs got plunked, but there was no further damage. ... CI hit a one-out double for the States, but Johnson got Jones and Wright on strikes.

2nd: Yook and Dunn walked, a FC put Yook on third and McCann's sacrifice fly to CF tied the game.

4th: Hawkins relieved Peavy. He kept the ball in the infield and allowed only a one-out walk. ... Yook bopped a solo dong to right to start the bottom half, then Dunn walked on four pitches. After a mound visit, Johnson fanned Braun, but surrendered a two-run bomb to right to McCann. At 63 pitches, he is likely done.

5th: Facing Matt Thornton, Martin, Votto and Morneau went quietly in order. ... Jeter singled and Rollins came into run. Two outs later, he was caught stealing.

6th: Bay walked, took third on a one-out double by Teahen, and scored on a wild pitch. US 4-3. ... Yook walked to start things off and Dunn homered to left-centre. US 6-3.

7th: Facing Shields, Martin hit a one-out doung to left. Votto singled and after Morneau struck out, Bay walked (for the third time). But Stairs fanned. ... Pedroia doubled, Rollins singled, and after a wild pitch, Jones walked. Based loaded against Phillippe Aumont, but he escaped: Wright lined softly to short and Yook and Granderson went down swinging.

8th: Weglarz worked a one-out walk, but Orr GIDP. ... The US loaded the bases on a walk, single and an error, but Jones fanned to end the inning.

9th: Putz pitching. Pinch-hitter Adam Stern nearly beat out an infield grounder into the shortstop hole, but Rollins made the play. Very close at first, but it was the right call. Then Martin and Votto (4-for-5) hit back-to-back doubles to cut the lead to 6-5. Votto went to third on Morneau's groundout and Brett Lawrie came in as a pinch-runner. Bay looked at two strikes, then took three balls, then fouled off two more pitches -- before flying easily out to right. Damn.

***

Lineups below!

***Adam Stern led Canada to an 8-6 victory over the United States in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. The two countries meet again today at 2 PM in Toronto before an expected Skydome crowd of 40,000. The game will be broadcast by ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and MLB.TV.

If Canada wins again, it will likely be because they pounded the hell out of the ball. Jeff Francis, Erik Bedard and Rich Harden are absent because of injuries and Ryan Dempster declined to participate, so Canada's pitching staff is weak.

RHP Mike Johnson -- a 17th-round draft choice of the Blue Jays in 1993 who pitched in 81 games with the Orioles and Expos from 1997-2001 -- starts against the US. Johnson, 33, pitched in Taiwan last year (after two seasons in independent leagues) and says the WBC will be the final games of his professional career. ... Jake Peavy gets the ball for the US. ... There is a pitch limit of 65 pitches per game in Round One.

On Thursday, in its last exhibition tuneup before the tournament, Canada whitewashed the Yankees 6-0, scoring all of their runs in the top of the first inning. MFY starter Joba Chamberlain was unable to record an out. In fact, he could barely throw a strike. Joba walked four of the five batters he faced (two with the bases loaded); he also allowed a single and threw a wild pitch.

In Pool A, Japan routed Korea 14-2 this morning and advanced to the second round. Daisuke Matsuzaka (4-4-2-2-1, 65) started for Japan and allowed a two-run dong in the first. The game was called after seven innings because of the mercy rule.

Here in Tokyo Dice-K allowed a couple early runs but looked very sharp in the last two innings he pitched (BTW, the pitch limit in round one of the Asian pool is 70- are these rules really different in the North American pool?). The mercy rule was applied in the 7th inning. Tokyo Dome was filled to the brim and hopping- felt kind of bad for Korea (not only are these all home games for Japan, but Korea was missing most of their MLB players). But it was exciting to watch Team Japan with all the cylinders clicking (besides Daisuke's hiccup, their pitching was excellent-- and every starter had at least one hit, besides Iwamura, who had two walks). If they play like this in the next round there should be some exciting WBC games in the States.

Man, Steve Phillips loves Jeter. When McCann hit that sac fly, he said something like "Good job by McCann, not trying to do too much with it. I wonder if taking BP with Jeter has anything to do with that run"

And after the home run he says "McCann saying 'You may not pull the ball, Jeter, but I do'."

And with that, I'm gone. It's gorgeous out today, and I'm going to go be a tourist in the north end.

Steve Phillips loves Jeter. When McCann hit that sac fly, he said something like "Good job by McCann, not trying to do too much with it. I wonder if taking BP with Jeter has anything to do with that run"

I want to say you are making this up, you HAVE to be, but I know, sadly, that you are not.

"As much as I despise so much about the States, I still can't help but root for my guys.

Kick their asses, USA!"

Couldn't you just as easily say, "As much as I love the States, I can't bring myself to root for Yankees. Go other team!"?

(I'm rooting for the Red Sox guys, but against the USA. Also, when a Red Sox hits a ground ball to a fielder, at that point I root for the out, because if there's an error, it helps the US but doesn't help the Sox player's average.)